Marine Surprises Little Brother at College Basketball Game

We never get tired of watching families reunite after long tours of duty in the military. Watch what happens when this Marine returns from Afghanistan and surprises his little brother with a public reunion in front of his B-ball buddies.

Meyers and Bailey Leonard are as close as two brothers can be. It's a special bond that was forged when their father died in a freak bicycle accident when the boys were 6 and 8.

To make matters worse, their mother suffered from crippling back pain, and the family struggled financially in the absence of a bread-winner. However, they persevered — and because he was 22 months older, Bailey became a father-figure to Meyers.

Meyers grew to be 7'1 and went on to star at center on the University of Illinois men's basketball team, before being selected in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. Bailey joined the Marines in 2008, and was shipped off to Afghanistan.

In the video above, which was shot earlier this year, Bailey surprised Meyers before a Illinois basketball game. He hadn't seen his brother play since 2010.

Having already suffered loss in his life, Meyers said he is scared for his brother's wellbeing "every day."

You can see that raw emotion when Meyers embraces his (much smaller) big brother in their touching reunion. Pardon us, we *sniff* seem to have a little something in our eye...